The Red, White, and Green

I’ve worked hard to eliminate most plastics from my daily existence. Health concerns are a part of it; we really don’t know the cumulative effects of plastic packaging additives like bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates. I also can’t reconcile using a material that is made from fossil fuels, or that takes thousands of years to break down in a landfill, or that pollutes Texas-sized swaths of the ocean — even if that material is recyclable. Thus, I’ve swapped plastic grocery bags for canvas totes, Tupperware for Pyrex, and the occasional bottle of water for my trusty Klean Kanteen. And at my next doctor’s appointment when I need blood drawn, I’m going to request glass collection tubes instead of the traditional plastic. (Kidding! There are some instances where plastic is still necessary.)

There is one plastic product, though, that I’ve recently started using, because I think the eco pluses far outweigh the eco negatives, and that’s Debbie Meyer Green Bags. I know they’ve been around for some time, but I never considered using them because: a) they’re made of plastic and b) I generally don’t trust anything sold via infomercial. But the last time I saw my stepmother-in-law, she showed me the still-crunchy two-week-old celery in her fridge courtesy of Green Bags, and I decided to give them a try.

What a difference they’ve made! How much money I’ve saved! I used to have to throw away half of my farmers market purchases. (The run-of-the-mill fridge that came with my apartment seems designed to turn carrots into rubber within hours, even in the “crisper” drawer.) Now, my produce lasts for weeks, and nothing ever gets wasted. I also find that I’m eating more fruits and veggies, since I can buy more and not worry about it all spoiling.

Yeah, Green Bags are plastic, but they are recyclable; you can also reuse each of them up to 10 times. And considering that 40 percent of all food in the United States is thrown out — making food waste one of the largest contributors to climate change (thanks to all that methane once it rots in the landfill) — I consider Green Bags a necessary trade-off.

Debbie Meyer, I don’t know who you are or why your name has to be on the box, but thank you.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Click here for more tips on how to stop wasting food.

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Whenever a company sends me a new green product to test out, I instinctively want to like whatever that product is. It’s like a casting director auditioning actors: I don’t want you to suck; I want you to come in and blow me away with that special something so that my job is easy.

So when the folks at Activeion Cleaning Solutions were kind enough to send me a brand-new Ionator HOM to try, I really wanted this to be the miraculous breakthrough in chemical-free cleaning that the company avowed it to be. After all, who wouldn’t want a device that ionizes tap water to become a mean, green, degreasing machine, allowing you to sparklingly clean every surface of your home, not to mention kill 99.9 percent of harmful bacteria and the H1N1 virus? So I used it to clean my apartment not once, but twice — waiting a whole week in between cleanings (and for my place to get dirty again) so that I could give the thorough review this kind of cutting-edge technology deserved.

So after all this, how did the Ionator do? Well, let’s just say it had a less than stellar performance. Here’s the lowdown:

Along with the Ionator, I used two other “cleaning” solutions to act as comparisons: my favorite store-bought green cleaner, and a spray bottle that I filled with regular tap water. While the Ionator did an adequate job cleaning surfaces like my kitchen table (lacquer), my bedroom nightstands (wood), and the bathroom sink (tile), here’s the rub: In every instance, the results were identical to that of the spray bottle filled with plain tap water.

What’s more, neither the Ionator nor the control bottle were as effective as the green cleaner at these simple tasks, and mysteriously left behind a trail of lint from my cloth rags with every wipe (something the green cleaner doesn’t do). And when it came to tougher tasks, the Ionator didn’t stand a chance: Mirrors were left a foggy, streaky mess; soap scum didn’t budge from the tile in the shower; and my glass nightstand lamps still felt dirty to the touch once the water had dried.

Of course, third-party lab testing shows that the Ionator, in fact, is a highly effective sanitizer, but you would never know it from the sight of your home after you’ve cleaned with it. I’m sorry to say, but if you want a cheap, chemical-free, highly effective cleaning solution — not to mention one that doesn’t require electricity and isn’t made of questionably recyclable materials — pass on the Ionator and its $169 price tag, and invest in a box of baking soda, a bottle of white vinegar, and some lemons.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Baking soda and vinegar to DIY for your taste? Look for cleaners that are free of ammonia, chlorine, triclosan, petroleum, phosphates, and artificial fragrances.

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It seems like compostable packaging is all the rage right now, even though I would wager that the majority of Americans don’t even know what composting is. (To wit: Los Angeles’ largely ignored green bins.) Now, Frito-Lay is the latest company to jump on the biodegradable bandwagon, with the unveiling of SunChips‘ completely compostable snack food bag. It’ll be on Canadian grocery store shelves next month, and here in the US just in time for Earth Day 2010.

WATCH:

[Watch video on YouTube]

Of course, as with the biodegradable hotel key cards I profiled in January, you can’t just polish off a bag of Harvest Cheddar chips, toss it in the trash, and think you’ve done your part for the planet — these bags have to be placed in a hot compost pile or bin to break down in the estimated 12-16 weeks.

And also like the hotel key cards, these SunChips bags are made from Ingeo, a plant-based plastic manufactured by NatureWorks. While there’s been some controversy as to whether or not plant-based plastics do more harm than good (once you factor in the possibly genetically modified corn used to make these biopolymers — not to mention the pesticides and fertilizers used to grow the corn), NatureWorks has said it remains committed to sustainability, which you can read more about here.

We could debate for days as to whether these biodegradable bags will have a measurable impact on carbon emissions, but I think the greatest boon to the environment won’t be the bag itself; it’ll be the awareness this campaign brings to the general public about composting and why it’s so important. And that, in my opinion, is pretty cool.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Learn how to compost.

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Wow. Dasani (or Coca-Cola, I should say) is really working hard to make you feel OK about drinking filtered tap water out of a plastic bottle. I caught sight of a new Dasani PlantBottle ad in the March issue of Glamour, and there’s one thing I have to give the company credit for: effective advertising.

Lovingly caressed in the dewy leaf of a plant and topped off with a bright green plastic cap, even I was momentarily seduced by the seemingly pristine looking bottle. That’s a bold step for a company as large and mainstream as Coca-Cola, I thought.

Wait a second. This is water I could get from my tap. For free. And it’s served up in a plastic bottle. The PlantBottle may be manufactured from 30 percent sugar cane-based plastic, but this is still a completely unnecessary product. The Dasani website boasts a new section entitled “Eco-Living,” but there is absolutely nothing eco about this.

At best, it’s a small improvement for an incredibly wasteful industry. The plant material supposedly reduces the bottle’s carbon emissions by 25 percent, but consider that the bottled water industry produces more than 2.5 million tons of CO2 a year. And that it takes three liters of water to produce every single liter of Dasani. I suppose you could also argue that using plants for plastic lessens our dependence on foreign oil, but you know what else would lessen our dependence on foreign oil? Not having a bottled water industry.

An advantage of a lot of the new plant-based plastics is that they’re compostable, which helps cut down on pollution (e.g., the Great Pacific Garbage Patch). This Dasani PlantBottle can only be recycled though, since the remaining 70 percent is still made from good old-fashioned petroleum-based plastic. Too bad only about 20 percent of the 34.6 billion single-serving plastic water bottles bought in the US every year actually make it to the recycling plant.

I apologize for the rant, but nothing revs me up more than a massive case of greenwashing. Is it great that green has reached a critical enough mass that Dasani’s customers would even care about a plant-based plastic bottle? Of course. The bottled water industry isn’t going to disappear overnight; isn’t it better that Dasani is using 30 percent less petroleum-based plastic? Sure. But the model wearing a T-shirt on the Dasani website that says “Make Your Plastic Fantastic” is where I draw the line. No wonder she’s hiding her face.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Buy a reusable water bottle. I like Klean Kanteen.

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Photo via Flickr: Clean Wal-Mart

Most of you know by now that I’m not really big on buying things just for the sake of buying, even if those things are eco-friendly. There’s an interesting theory out there that the biggest contributor to global warming is not the incandescent bulbs in our homes or the gasoline in our cars — it’s all the stuff we buy.

Even so, I admit that when it comes to Valentine’s Day, part of me says, What a load of consumerist crap; while the other part of me says, Hey, where’s my chocolate? I’m not a total grinch, after all. And I do love chocolate.

But when it comes to the Valentine’s green gift guides floating around out there in the blogosphere, a lot of the stuff makes me cringe. Organic flowers shipped across the country? Panty sets made from recycled pine tree fiber? I hate to see green reduced to little more than a creative marketing tool.

Instead, why not use your own creativity to plan a thoughtful V-Day for your sweetie, without buying something you don’t need (even if it is green)? A few fun ideas:

Breakfast in bed. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no better way to pamper someone than the classic, home-cooked B in B (to my husband: hint, hint!). Some delicious and festive ideas: eggs benedict with red chile hollandaise, heart pancakes, or a french toast casserole.

Romantic picnic. If you live somewhere warm, pack a cooler with tomato and mozzarella sandwiches, a bottle of wine, and a chocolatey dessert. Then, hit your local state park or beach for a picnic. If you’re in a colder climate, pack it all in a basket and spread a blanket on the floor of your living room for an indoor outing. (Nice touch: Download a “nature sounds” track from iTunes to play in the background.)

Movie marathon. Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, so why not whip up a big batch of spicy cinnamon sugar popcorn and crawl back into bed for a rom-com movie marathon? (Or go for an anti-V-Day flick fest; check out the Syfy channel’s scary lineup for this Sunday.) Of course, you can also rent DVDs from your local library, video store, or use Netflix on demand.

Cupid cocktail party. If you’re single or just feel like adding more merriment to the mix, why not invite over a few friends and whip up a big batch of Valentine’s-inspired libations? Cut costs by making it a potluck: Ask each guest to bring a favorite drinking snack.

And the best part about all of these ideas: They’re perfect for all you procrastinators (myself included) who haven’t yet decided what to get your honey for Valentine’s Day!

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Oh, and don’t forget to send Valentine’s e-cards instead of paper cards to your friends and family. Check out the stylish ones at Cocodot.

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[Watch video on YouTube]

Not too long ago, a family member was excitedly telling me about her latest green purchase: an adorable little dog bone–shaped leash clip that dispenses biodegradable doggie doo bags. She had come across it at the checkout counter of The Container Store, and couldn’t resist — after all, who doesn’t want to feel guilt-free about tossing doody-filled plastic bags in the dumpster three times a day?

I hated to burst her bubble, but here’s the secret about those bags, and a lot of those other “biodegradable” bags: They don’t actually biodegrade. Well, at least not in normal landfill conditions. You see, those bags are designed to break down in composting environments only — that is, when exposed to air, sunlight, and natural microorganisms in the soil. That’s great if you want to use one of those bags to line your compost bin (but don’t throw dog waste in there; that requires a special kind of composting), but useless if you want to use it for your trash. In the anaerobic environment of the typical sealed landfill, those “biodegradable” bags essentially become mummified — as does any other kind of organic matter, for that matter.

That’s why I’m intrigued by a new brand of plastic bags by a company called Green Genius: They’re designed to actually break down in a sealed landfill. Watch the video, above, to see how it all works.

For lack of a better word, this sounds like a truly genius invention. My only question is this: If the methane that would have been released over 1,000 years as a traditional plastic bag breaks down in a landfill is released in a much shorter period with these new biodegradable bags, what happens if there’s no methane capture project attached to that landfill? Methane is 23 times more powerful a greenhouse gas than CO2 — will we suddenly have a lot more methane being released into the atmosphere?

Of course, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t embrace a product that could potentially put an end to the plastic pollution smothering our planet; I, for one, am really excited to go pick up my first box of Green Genius bags. And maybe this will be the impetus to hustle up and promote methane capture on a wider scale.

The bags, which are also made from 40 percent recycled plastic, are currently available in tall kitchen and large outdoor sizes. Click here to find out where to buy them.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Want to test out a Green Genius bag before you buy? Click here to order a free sample and receive a coupon for $2 off your next purchase.

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I have to admit, I was underwhelmed by a lot of the green products at the Go Green Expo last Friday. It’s not Go Green Expo’s fault — the show was certainly jam-packed with all the latest and greatest eco-gadgets and whatnots — but seeing row upon row of bamboo tote bags and BPA-free water bottles made me wonder: Is green consumer an oxymoron? All this stuff is green, but it is just stuff, after all. Aren’t we going to have to move away from a consumption-based economy to achieve true sustainability? (I asked this very question at the Build Green, Grow Profits panel I attended.)

That being said, I don’t want to be a total buzzkill for those of you who didn’t get to go to the show and pass judgment on all that green gear: There was one really cool product that caught my eye, mostly for the Wow, will people really go this green? factor. Green people, I give you PeopleTowels!

Made of 100 percent organic cotton, the PeopleTowel is a personal hand towel to use in lieu of paper towels or those energy-sucking dryers in public restrooms. The eco stats are impressive, and could really add up if enough people made the switch: Use PeopleTowels for a year, and you’ll reduce landfill waste by 23 pounds and save 250 gallons of water.

Evidently, personal hand towels have been all the rage in germ-phobic Japan for decades, but I am curious to see how the American market reacts. While I’ll enjoy looping my PeopleTowel around my Kleen Kanteen to tote with me to my Kundalini yoga class (how annoying am I?), I can’t really imagine my husband shlepping one of these around in his jeans pocket every day. Then again, we don’t live in New York City anymore, where we had to deal with disgusting public restrooms day in and day out. PeopleTowels are green and clean — that’s twice the motivation.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Spread the word — buy a PeopleTowel or two online and use it proudly the next time you hit a public restroom.

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Photo via Flickr: Brandi666

When I was on the East Coast last week, I realized something was missing from nearly every public bathroom I visited: toilet seat covers. “Yeah, I think it’s a West Coast thing,” lamented my slightly germ-phobic cousin, who exclaimed that she hadn’t seen a single one since touching down at JFK.

Now, I suppose I’ve become a bit pampered since moving to the West Coast. Los Angeles has a level of cleanliness in most public places that New Yorkers could only dream of, what with its letter grading health code system that lets me undauntingly dine in even the diviest-looking East LA taco joint. (I can only say this, of course, because I’m a former New Yorker.) I had forgotten until this recent visit that even nice restaurants in NYC often have repulsive bathrooms.

I do feel guilty about using those toilet seat covers on occasion. I’m not sure anyone’s bum is worth all those trees. But what about the consequences of squatting and potentially spraying all over the seat, and then having to wipe it down with extra toilet paper as a courtesy to the next bathroom-goer? I figure I’m wasting less paper by sticking with the seat cover.

I’m back in LA now, and lo and behold — a pleasant surprise to alleviate my green guilt (and possibly yours): As I walked into a public restroom today, I glanced at the custodian’s cart  placed outside the bathroom, which was stocked with packages of toilet seat covers from The Sugar Cane Paper Company. Evidently, the company manufacturers its paper products from recycled sugar cane bagasse, which is the fibrous residue left over after sugar extraction. That’s right — no trees harmed in the process. Happy sitting!

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Work in an office where there are paper toilet seat covers in the bathroom? Put in a request with the building’s management to order eco-friendly ones.

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Photo via Flickr: Terin.

Since the first synthetic Christmas tree was introduced in France in 1840, the debate has carried on: real or fake? Even without factoring in the environmental repercussions of either, there are valid arguments to make on both sides: Fake trees don’t shed needles all over the place and are more cost-effective in the long-term; real trees arguably look more elegant and fill the house with that wonderful woodsy smell.

I’m Jewish, so I don’t have a lifetime of piney sense-memory (save my family’s Chanukah bush experiment when I was in third grade) placing me firmly in the real-tree camp, but I have to be honest: I kind of cringe every time I see one of those polyethylene monstrosities. But it also seems such a waste to cut down a living tree every year, even if it does come from a farm and isn’t actually destroying real forest.

That’s why I think renting a Christmas tree — as profiled in yesterday’s New York Times – is pure genius. Check it out:

To rent a tree, a customer visits Mr. Martin’s website, livingchristmas.com, picks out a tree from among several varieties, and then awaits delivery. Delivery days are determined by geography, to save time and gas. Prices range from $50, for a two-to-three-foot number, up to $185 for something bigger. While two weeks is the recommended length of stay for a live tree in a house, Mr. Martin lets his customers keep them for three.

The tree is then picked up to join its evergreen cousins; they will summer together on industrial properties where Mr. Martin rents space for pennies on the dollar to house his inventory. People who want the same tree next year ask for it to be tagged with their name, so it might return next December, taller.

With the chopped-down variety going for roughly the same price, why wouldn’t everyone do this? And if you have ample property, I’ll go even one better: Buy your own potted pine tree from a nursery, decorate it and keep it inside for Christmas, then plant it on your property once the holidays are over. Your Christmas tree “forest” will help remove CO2 from the atmosphere, keep trees (real and fake) out of landfills, and will bring beauty to your home year after year.

Thanks to loyal RWG reader AD for passing along the NYT article.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: It may be too late this year to go with a rented tree, but you can make sure that the real one you bought doesn’t wind up in the landfill once the holidays are over. Click here to find composting/recycling information for your area (type “Christmas tree” in the search window).

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Photo via Flickr: Don Hankins

I recently rediscovered running (OK, more like light jogging) over my Thanksgiving vacation in Chicago. The weather was too crisp and glorious to pass up, and let’s just say I had more than my share of pumpkin pie fueling my exercise. What wasn’t so fabulous were the worn-out, five-year-old athletic shoes I brought with me. Time to pick up a new pair!

What to do with the old ones, though? I suppose having to toss an old pair in the trash every couple years (sooner, if you log substantial mileage) could be considered a justifiable evil, considering that throwing on a pair of shoes and heading outside for a run or walk is just about the most eco-friendly exercise there is — certainly when you compare it to the electricity-guzzling treadmills and elliptical machines at your local gym, not to mention the fossil fuel necessary to drive there.

But luckily, I don’t have to calculate the GHG emissions for the shoes-rotting-in-a-landfill scenario, because there’s a great, free recycling program available: Nike Reuse-a-Shoe. Drop off your old athletic shoes — of any brand — at a Nike store or one of 300 drop-off locations worldwide, and every part of the shoe will be broken down into raw materials for athletic surfaces like running tracks and basketball courts. Click here to watch how.

More than 24 million pairs of shoes have been collected through the program worldwide since 1990. But considering that by my rough estimate, over 300 million pairs of athletic shoes are purchased each year in the US alone, clearly the word needs to get out there about Reuse-a-Shoe and other recycling programs.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Inspired to spread the word to your fellow harriers? Organize a shoe drive through the Nike program.

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